Armenian Adoption Adventure explores the latest in Adoption news from Armenia. Armenian Adoption Adventure has a network of 40 people worldwide that have adopted from Armenia. God Bless you on this difficult journey.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

We are thrilled to announce that the delivery of the 50 bikes to four different Armenian orphanages and day camps was a huge success. Once again we were a witness to the power of bicycles. The bicycles brought joy and happiness to all the children. The bicycles will provide the children who have very little possessions with countless hours of fun as well as a mode of transportation to various places around their village. Out of the four Armenian orphanages and day camps we delivered bikes to, the Bikes 4 Orphans team was able to visit two of the locations. At Bridge of Hope in the village of Dillijan we delivered a bicycle and a tricycle to a day camp for disabled children as well as children from impoverished families. In addition, we visited an orphanage/summer camp where we delivered 30 bicycles in the village of Tsakhkadzor . The remaining 18 bicycles were delivered to another orphanage and a children's hospital. This could not have been possible without the extraordinary collaboration with Focus on Children Now, especially Karine Aboolian and Anahid Kalantaryan. Also thank you to our parents for financing this life-changing trip! Full albums, videos and detailed reports will be posted tomorrow! As Vanessa Kachadurian reported early Focus on Children now is currently raising funds with Fresnan Vatche Soghomonian's bike a thon through Fresno raising money this year for the Syrian Armenian Children resettling in Armenia.

After years of
resistance, the Armenian government has decided to take the advice of
international organizations and introduce a foster family system that would
make it possible to reduce the number of children attending the country’s
orphanages and special schools.

“We
should do everything for children to grow up in a family environment. Of
course, it is most desirable that they grow within their biological family, but
if it is not possible, then they should grow with foster parents, or, at least,
in an environment with conditions close to family conditions,” said Minister of
Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Artem Sargsyan during July 1 public
hearings dealing with children’s issues. (The hearings were initiated by the
Child Protection Network and the Child Pact international organization.)

The minister said that foster families will help take the burden off orphanages
and special schools by 50-60 percent and for the staff of these institutions
not to become unemployed, the orphanages and special schools will be turned
into social centers, as today’s 20 daycare and three social care facilities do
not satisfy the corresponding needs of Armenia’s 915 communities.

At present, there are six state-run orphanages in Armenia attended by a total
of 730 children. And although the number of healthy children in orphanages has
been on the decline in recent years, their number at specialized children’s
care centers, such as special schools, daycare or rehabilitation centers,
continues to grow.

During their visits last year representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office found
out that 30 percent of children at special schools are children without any
special needs and their parents take them to orphanages because of social
problems.

According to World Vision Armenia data, the parents of 70 percent of 350
children at five special schools of in Yerevan would take their children to
general public schools if they got social support.

For reforms in the system USAID will provide $5 million to Armenia in the next
five years so that the government makes no additional expenses.

Moreover, a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund shows that the
government today spends $4,000 a year per child at an orphanage or a special
institution, while in case of children’s living in foster families the spending
would average $3,000 and the government would be able to save up to $1.8
million annually.

“Commonly child services need to be centered to the child, to the family, and
it should be spread in Armenia and when having conversation with Armenian
Diaspora one should seek co-financing for the state to realize the child
protection policy,” Henriette Ahrens, representative of UNICEF Armenia, said
during the hearing.

UNICEF Armenia Office representative Anna Harutyunyan added that paying primary
attention to financing and conditions, representatives of the sphere pay only
secondary attention to the child’s right to live in a family.

“The best place for children is their family, no matter what food or conditions
they get there. Children want their mother, their family, we should make it the
core of our operations.”

Harutyunyan said that two schools for children with special needs would be
closed in Sisian and Goris this summer and from September the children of these
schools will start attending public schools.

A foster family pilot program was launched in Armenia in 2008 when 24 children
were placed in 23 families. Maga Ter-Hovhannisyan, an employee of the
Children’s Support Foundation Center of the Fund for Armenian Relief, the
organization that implements the program, considers the process to be a
success, as many of the children continue to have contacts with their foster
families even after they turn 18.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

This blog has gotten many inquiries from Armenians and non-Armenians about adopting children in Armenia by non-Armenians (odars). The short answer to that question is "Yes" it does happen and will happen. The long answer is the willingness of non-Armenians to pay a lot of money to an Adoption/Abduction Service Provider and willingness to accept the fact it's not popular among Armenians.

There are currently 3 American Adoption Service providers that operate in Armenia. Of the 3 only 1 is willing to be truthful about non Armenians adopting only special needs children. That agency is the one with the longest program in Armenia and it is called Carolina Adoption Services which was the ex employer of Robin Sizemore the Executive Director now of Hopscotch Adoptions. An ex employee of Hopscotch Adoptions, Jeanne Sobie heads up the Armenian program at Carolina Adoption Services.
It's no secret that Robin Sizemore attempted to sue me over 5 years ago, trying to intimidate me into silence about the truth. However that pitiful lawsuit didn't make it passed a mediation or even close to a summary judgment after the mediation report brought up several issues about Robin Sizemore's dismissal from Carolina Adoption Agency. It can be viewed here and has 1,400 views on it. http://www.slideshare.net/VanessaKachadurian/hopscotchmediation2?qid=42c507b9-3f82-4a52-8c55-5b315d579403&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1
Dispite the fact Robin Sizemore's flaky attorney Bennet Kelley actually filed charges to try and suppress it. After he shamelessly put out fake press releases that he had won a significant victory of some sort. What victory that is I am not sure? Maybe Bennet and Robin got "Liar of the Year" award for spinning Robin's background into some sort of "child savior"

Local Armenians in Armenia are given first choice to adopt, however many cannot afford the huge fees that foreign providers pump into the Armenian economy by way of in country "contractors" so if a local person wants to adopt a child it is roughly $800.00. A lot of money to people in Armenia - so naturally many Americans will have the opportunity to adopt. Hopscotch Adoptions has a large following of non Armenians who have adopted. No applications are turned down for this program or discouraged by Hopscotch Adoptions. Carolina Adoption Services has even discouraged some Armenians from adopting because of the difficulty finding healthy children. Carolina Adoption Services does a great job in setting expectations to applicants.
Hopscotch Adoptions has accepted applications from people who were newly married (a couple in Washington State) after 4 years of waiting and 1 child falling through the system and being returned back to her biological father this couple did finally succeed.

Another Hispanic woman from New Mexico named Regina Soto, got caught in the Russian Adoption BAN and switched to Hopscotch Adoptions barely 1 year ago. She has just returned home with her new Armenian baby girl.

Robin Sizemore attempted to have this picture removed.
The country of Armenia, Ministry of Social Affairs would like to know
what are you trying to hide?

NOTE: Google Blogger contacted this blog and stated that someone had filed a fake copyright

on the above photo, they as precaution removed the photo. It has been put back up pending

proof of "copyrights" to a child. Armenia if you are reading, this is the kind of slight of hand

tactics used by Robin Sizemore who works real hard to clean up her image and that of the

adoption industry in general. If and when, Ms. Robin Sizemore can prove copyrights to this little girl

we will remove the photo but not until that proof is provided. Remember she has no jurisdiction in Armenia or anywhere else for that matter. Eduard Amalyan continues to not pay taxes in Armenia. While our military has no retirement, families struggle and move to Russia to find jobs.

NOTE: REGINA SANTO CLAIMS TO OWN THE CHILD AND THE DOG IN HER COMPLAINT

I GUESS SHE IS CLUELESS ABOUT HOW HER MONEY WAS USED TO PURCHASE SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD AND GAIN RELINQUISHMENT RIGHTS. Some Armenians are so poor that they will take money and

sell their kids to overweight Mexican Slobs like Regina that want a BAYBEE so bad they are willing to look the

other way. Here is a message to you Regina from the family of your new purchase: You will NEVER own that little girl she is the daughter of a poor family in Armenia who had no money, so you brought your money to Armenia and purchased a BAYBEE. Make her into a self centered American slob like you.

Robin has discouraged many Armenians from Adopting in Armenia. Some have waited over 3 years for a child/baby and have seen countless odars like Regina Soto, Beth Shepherd, MariBeth Driver, and Shelly Pritchert be fast tracked to adoption of Armenian children. So with caution to those of you waiting to adopt, don't think for one minute your Armenian heritage or ethnicity matters to Robin Sizemore. In Fact, Robin Sizemore is very much into feeling powerful about who can adopt and believes she has the right to decide who adopts Armenian Children. Robin cares less about the economic situations that forced the majority of the women to relinquish their children and believes those children are better off with her paying clients. Here is a post on Regina Soto's facebook page shortly after arriving back from Armenia from Robin declaring "Thanks God she has you as her mother"

Really Robin? It's not your place to decide such things, just shut up and collect the $35,000+ in fees and disperse among the "contractors" in Armenia. Make Eduard Amalyan more wealthy so he can spread the wealth in Armenia. That little girl has a mother and father in Armenia, but now will never see their daughter again because you decided it's in their best interest to be purchased by your clients.

Robin knows how to work the emotions of clients waiting for a child, even calling the child "your child" before the court date or blaming the country every time something goes wrong or worst yet the US State Department for being anti - adoption.

To Fellow Armenians that feel discouraged each time Robin treads on your culture, you have a choice. 1) Continue to support her business and wait in line 2) Drop your application as many Armenians have and switch countries 3) Consider adopting Armenian children out of foster care in California's LA county 4) Adopt via surrogacy program in Armenia (relatively new)